Memories of a Distant Past
by OtakuCaramel
Summary: If I were to come back, would you remember me? Would you love me like you did before, or would I merely be another existant being? The fragments are slowly fading away now. Can you remember, before I perish? *Story takes place after Thousand Years War Arc* Hitsugaya Toshiro x OC **Note** I do not own any of the characters except for my OC
1. Prologue

Erm, hi? Well um, first off, I'll have to warn you guys. I really cannot write in first person... I hope the chapters after will be better cause they're in third person... I honestly do not think I'm very good at writing so feel free to criticize me. Any tips or reviews are greatly appreciated and I will read every one and follow them to the best of my ability! :) I hope you'll enjoy my first piece of work! :D

* * *

_I woke up to a thud. My turquoise eyes widened as fiery sparks danced across the room. Bolting upwards, a jolt of pain exploded in my arm. Terror erupted as the few crimson fireflies combusted to blazing embers. My throat ran dry as the searing smog tortured my windpipes, forcing a few coughs slip through. My vision blurred as a heatwave struck my eyes, causing water to accumulate at the edges. Though the hopeless angst pulsing through my frail body was unsettling, it could not compare to agony brought by my phobic mind.  
_

_My teeth were now clenched, hands firmly bounded to my head. Make it stop! Make it stop! Make it stop! Despite my helpless pleas, the hallucinations would not let up. Continuous scenes of my warm, kindhearted sister's persecution overran me. It took everything to endure my maleficent mind's ear-piercing screams. If one were to describe a nightmare, this would be it. But the pain tingling on my skin and the anxiety stirring within me was real. This was no nightmare, this was reality._

_The pain was unbearable to the point I could feel my sanity mercilessly being extracted. Yet, my body fought for control. Regardless of my own well being, I had to regain control now. There was no time for hesitation, not when Hinamori's life was in danger._

_Crawling my way around the flames, I tread my way around the smoldering maze. Undeterred by the "clarity" provided by my watered eyes, I managed to tell between incandescent scarlets and diminished slates. Following purely based on instinct, my quivering body managed to find its way to Hinamori's room. Clawing the paper-thin doors open, an afflicting scene welcomed me. Boiling tears flood down my cheeks upon seeing Hinamori's body laying lifelessly along the woven tatami mats. This could not be. _

_Without realization, my legs were pumping full speed towards her. A convulsing cry petrified me. How could I be so stupid? Running out in the open when the enemy was bound to be near. Leisurely, the dark outline of a beast emerged from the shadows. Bloodthirsty eyes met my own. I could only watch in dismay as the giant arm of the hollow swung down. Raveling my tortured arms around my head, I braced myself for the impact. Eyes shutting, waiting for the approaching end._

_"Hado no san-juu-ichi!" The light of a bright scarlet cannon blinded me. "Sorry!" Slowly pealing my eyes open, I found a mellow green glow eloped around my body. Turning my head, I found a Kido barrier surrounding both Hinamori and I. When did...? _

_After gaining enough strength to move, I sluggishly propped my body up with my left arm. Hearing the chanting of Kido spells, the monster that had attacked us was slowly pulled back. Realizing its lack in strength, the hollow's reiatsu shrouded wings dispersed into the darkness. I guess even hollow valued their life. _

_"Sorry about that! Are you alright?" I couldn't believe my eyes. A...girl...? Judging by her size, she couldn't be any older than me. _

_"I-I think... But my sis-" A delicate finger playfully pushed back my nose. _

_"She's fine. I used a stronger healing kido for her. She's just unconscious. You should still take her to a doctor though, in case her wounds were infected." Quickly nodding my head, I bowed in graditude. "Well I'm gonna get going now, it'd be bad if anyone else saw me..." Her body positioned itself for a shunpo._

_"Wait!" Her small body relaxed, turning her head to face my own. I forced my gaze aside. "W-will you come back?" A look of confusion was painted on her face. "I-I don't mean that you have to..." A sweet laugh caught my attention. _

_"Who knows. But if you come to the Northern Forest I may think about it." Without looking back, she disappeared._

_I found myself staring at the bright moon. But in its stead, was a pair of lavender eyes glistening like gems. A tiny face shaped by her jet black hair, swaying gently in the wind. A rose kimono, embellished cherry blossom prints. I only had one thought on my mind; she was beautiful._


	2. Beginning of Everything

Dawn rose from the edge of a mahogany table. A young boy, silver hair and ocean eyes stepped into the orange-stained room. Within a short period of time, he settled into the cushions of the matching mahogany chair. Laying out sheets of paper, he gently took hold of a snow bristled brush. Pushing the fine, condensed tip into a pond of obsidian ink, his hands began to dance along the lines of the fine parchment. Though his physical self seemed to have taken profound concentration on his work, his conscience was elsewhere.

The young prodigy was distraught over the dream last night. It was far too real, too familiar to be looked over. What worried him most was the girl that had saved him. Who was she? Why didn't he remember her before? Nothing but questions flushed through his studious mind.

His trail of thought was disrupted by the shimmer of a violet butterfly, no larger than his palm. Gingerly reaching out to receive the news it had to offer, the butterfly slowly descended to the level of his hand. The voice of the new Captain-Commander, Kyoraku Shunsui resonated in his ear.

"Hitsugaya-taichou, I'm sorry for the short notice, but would you mind coming to my office? I want you to be an examiner for a girl taking a captain's test tomorrow. Before you decline, I must share with you I already asked quite a few captains and they all replied with something like 'I can't fight a little girl'." Hitsugaya's eyes narrowed. Had Kyoraku really just read his mind? A playful voice followed. "So, you really are the last person left. Hope you don't mind!" Toshiro sighed. Leaving him no choice but to go, he quickly scribbled down a note for his vice-captain. Muttering curse words in annoyance, he flash-stepped his way to the first division headquarters.

* * *

"Hey! Let me in! You Gotei 13 idiots summon me here to ask me to leave? What a joke!" Blocking the entrance to Seireitei, was a guard taking the appearance of an oversized monkey. His feet were firmly planted into the ground, as if he were a giant wall blocking the path of the girl.

Despite the intimidation between sizes, the girl would not budge. Arms crossed over her cyan blue kimono, her lilac eyes narrowed to a cold glare at the giant.

"You-!" She was cut off by a groan. Bending his mountainous legs, his tan snout descended to match the young girl's gaze.

"I was ordered keep anyone but the girl taking the captain's test out. I can't make any exceptions, even if you are such a cute, little girl." Angered by humiliation, the young girl snapped. Her patience had run out.

"For your information I am that girl!" The guard blinked a few times from her response, before bursting into a bellowing laughter.

"You? Taking a captains test? Do you even know what a shunpo is? Better learn how to make more reasonable excuses-" A flash of black interrupted the guard's guffaw. Eyes widening, actuality focused before him.

"By shunpo, you mean this?" The guard was no weakling. He was at least at the level of a Seated Officer. Immense speed was in order for such a person to lose sight of the girl. Body trembling from the lethal weapon pointed at his throat, a stutter finally spouted from his mouth.

"Y-you may pass..." Grinning wryly, the girl flash-stepped her way into Seireitei. The guard's knees collapsed upon the girl's departure.

"What a thing..."

* * *

"So that's everything, any questions?" The silver haired boy shook his head, before bowing and pacing towards the door. Just as a foot slipped through the gateway, a voice called behind him. "Ah, forgot to tell you; her name is Kiyomizu Harumi." Hitsugaya's cerulean eyes widened. _Harumi... Why does that name seem so familiar?_


	3. The Day of the Test

"Kiyomizu-san, it's seven now." Gently laying down her book, the young girl stood up. She bowed courteously before heading towards the direction of the exit. "U-um, I don't mean to pry, but where do you plan on heading this early in the morning?" Vivid eyes glancing back, the young girl grinned a teasing smile.

"Heard of the girl taking the captain's test today?" This was a puzzling idea to the messenger; prodigies like Hitsugaya only appear once ever so often. Even if she did seem to have a large amount of reiatsu, a small girl like her just didn't seem to make the cut. Not only that, but there were no noticeable signs of a zanpakuto on the girl. "Now, if you'll excuse me." Curiosity compelling, the messenger decided to trail the young girl. As the last strand of black hair slipped around the corner, a shadow darkened, quietly pursuing the one named Harumi.

* * *

The sound of papers rustled in the room. Hitsugaya Toshiro and Kuchiki Byakuya, the two examiners for the captain's test, were looking over a few documents on the girl, but with every new fact, the contradictions rose. Nothing was adding up. Sighing, Hitsugaya set the stack down, lifting his head to meet Kuchiki.

"What do you think Kuchiki?" Kuchiki's eyes shifted, concentration not adverting very far from the documents in his hands.

"I cannot believe Sou-Taichou is willing to trust this person."

"I do admit it is strange. But Kyoraku is no idiot, there's no way he would overlook such a fact without a reason." The young prodigy stated, unaware of the harm he had done to the prideful Kuchiki.

"Then what do you presume this reason to be? Such an action is clearly against the law of the Central 46. What could drive Sou-Taichou to such a decision?"

"Am I suppose to know?" Forcing curses under his breath, he shoved another sheet in Kuchiki's face. "Kurotsuchi found this the other day. Do you believe there to be a connection?" Carefully eyeing the sheet, a perplexing picture was shown. A black haired girl, wearing lilac eyes, almost a copy of the picture of the examinee for the captain's test reflected off his slate, gray pupils. But that was not all.

"Natsumi Kiyomizu. Born in the province of Junrinan in the 1st District of West Rukongai." Kuchiki shot a look at Hitsugaya.

"Do you know her."

"As if you don't know already." Hitsugaya answered scornfully. "As such, I asked Hinamori to call some old friends. It seems no one has the memory of such a person. Even if the town was quite large, the chances of no one with connections with Hinamori knowing this girl are low. Especially considering this girl is skilled enough to become a captain at my age." Kuchiki glanced once more at the picture of the girl.

"There are some differences in their appearances, could they be relatives?"

"I considered that too, but that is without doubt my village. And unless there was a mistake in the records, this is suspicious." Shutting his eyes in annoyance, the young boy stood up. "This is getting no where. I'm gonna go get breakfast."

The young prodigy left the room, turquoise eyes meandering from his path. _If they were the same person, why would she need to hide her identity? If they were different people, the documents would still be inaccurate. I do not believe the Institution of Technology and Development would make such a mistake. Were the documents altered somehow? _As he walked down the royal red halls, a thought slipped into his mind. Was it possible? Could someone really do such a thing? Could someone really make an entire village forget about their existence?


	4. Mislead

Sorry for taking so long! This is a long chapter lol xD I rewrote the entire thing before posting so I hope it's good enough... Well enjoy :)

* * *

Elatedly skipping along the bustling streets of Seireitei, was an overjoyed Harumi. She had been nibbling on a piece of bread she had won from a street contest. Though it seemed such a small gain, for one new to a city finding food was quite a hassle. Now with her second obstacle cleared, the young girl was to find her way to the test building. Not a moment too late, had a large, stone building come around the corner. Quickly finishing off her food, she discreetly stepped into the central library.

The large cylindrical walls were dimly lit by a few oil lamps. Oversized bookshelves lined with prints of all sorts filled the dark room. At the front desk, was a young lady, eyes framed by gray glasses and jet hair held in a neat bun. Upon Kiyomizu's entrance, the young lady rose her head.

May I help you?" Gently nodding her head, Kiyomizu approached, a sheet of white dangling in her grip. Her small hand handed the paper over to the lady, her digit pointing to a specific point on the page.

"I'm looking for this place. Would you happen to know the way?" Examining the sheet on contact, the lady's eyes widened.

"Hitsugaya-Taichou!" H-hitsugaya? Surely she didn't hear wrong.

"Is something wrong Ise?" The voice of a young boy responded.

"This girl needs to head over to the testing area. I believe her to be the one you are searching for?" Silence, followed by a heavy sigh and the clacking of footsteps reverberated along the large stone walls. The young prodigy emerged, clutching a bundle of books.

"I guess there's no choice then." Hitsugaya tossed the bundle over to Ise, who received with perfection. The sea-blue eyes adverted over to Kiyomizu. "Lets go. I have some questions I need to ask along the way."

"O-okay!" Despite the enthusiasm in her voice, a pearl of sorrow formed at the corner of the lilac eyes. Trailing behind the silver hair, Kiyomizu was careful not to let him see. After all, she couldn't let him see. Not after coming this far. A gentle spring breeze gingerly displaced the droplet; just in time to be hidden from the young prodigy.

"So. You're Kiyomizu Harumi?"

"You've heard of me?" A hoarse scoff ruptured from Hitsugaya's throat. "What?!"

"No, it's nothing." Swallowing his laughter, the young prodigy pointed towards a large, red building, sitting at the top of a giant hill. It was the one of the only three in Seireitei that stood out. "Seems you don't know much about Soul Society, considering you couldn't even find your way to that building." Hiding her disappointment, the young girl responded with annoyance.

"It's not my fault the Gotei have fallen to the point to hire OUTSIDERS as captains." Stubbornly fighting back, it soon came clear this girl hated to lose. Such childishness was not permitted in the Gotei. Will Kiyomizu really cut it as a captain?

"Anyways." The young boy decided to cut in before things got out of hand. "Is Kiyomizu Harumi your real name?" A puzzled look came upon the lilac eyes.

"Is that a trick question?" Hitsugaya observed every muscle on the girl. Any signs of deception would not be ignored. However, as the interrogation dragged on, the more exasperated Hitsugaya grew. Either she was a damn good liar, or she really was telling the truth. Were the documents on Natsumi Kiyomizu really just a coincidence? Exhaling in a vexing tone, Hitsugaya decided to stop questioning the girl.

As the extensive red building grew in size and clarity, tension built between the two. Almost ten minutes have been spent in silence. A heavy atmosphere weighted down all attempts for small talk. Yet, Kiyomizu couldn't stand it anymore.

"T-Toshiro..." Upon reflex, Kiyomizu had called him by his first name. Without warning, Hitsugaya's knees buckled. Affliction flooded into the small, pale face. The once bright turquoise eyes were drained of their color. A cry sounded from the small, cherry lips. That was the last element Hitsugaya absorbed from the outside world.

* * *

What happened? Buoyantly drifting in a sea of darkness, my eyes wandered around my surroundings. Nothing. Is this Hyourinmaru's doing? I felt my arm, searching for any signs of the biting cold. Nothing. Unease began to stir. The sound of silence rung in my ears. It was empty, cold, and eerie. No matter where you are, there's always some noise in the background. Birds, machinery; perfect silence was impossible, or so I thought. The only occasional signals sent through the tense nerve endings were from my own self. My thrashing heartbeat, my trembling breaths; every aspect of this prison was bloodcurdling. Yet, somewhere within me, I felt at ease. It was frightening all right, but at the same time, warm.

As if answering my thoughts, a charming singing voice sounded behind me. Dimly lit lights, with gentle green auroras began to dance around me. The emptiness was soon illuminated by waltzing fireflies with the luster of a diamond. The void of black had faded into a small river, eloped by emerald forests. Bestowed the gift of song, was a young girl with jet, black hair, feet playfully slashing against the streaming water. A young boy soon emerged, clothed in a traditional bamboo print yukata. His turquoise eyes gleaming in excitement and mischief. Was that...me? He jauntily progressed towards the girl, a devilry look on his face. Just centimeters behind the girl, the singing stopped.

"Toshiro, I know you're there." The young girl stood up, turning to face the younger me. A look of disbelief arose as her veiled face became visible. K-Kiyomizi? Or was that Natsumi? Thrown off guard, the world began to blur. I tried forcing my eyes open once again, hoping to ease the distortion. Light-headed, my body gave in. The world had dispersed.

* * *

Weary eyes blinking open, a sea of white soon appeared before the young prodigy. A groan mustered as he propped his body up.

"A-are you alright?" Hitsugaya nodded, doing his best to hide his aching head. As the blurred world finally cleared before him, the turquoise eyes snapped open.

"O-Oi! What are you doing?" Kiyomizu's forehead was rested against his own, face inches away from his own. She pulled back a few seconds later, tossing a vial filled with a red fluid over to Hitsugaya.

"You don't seem to have a fever, but take this anyway. Sou-Taichou said to move my test if you aren't feeling well-" She was cut off by a abrupt wheeze.

"Hitsugaya-Taichou! Please move from that girl this instant!"

""What are you talking-" A sharp blade glistened at the edge of Kiyomizu's throat. Her pale face turned to face the messenger from this morning, panting beside the second squad's captain. Soon, members of the Secret Mobile Corps filled the hospital room.

Kiyomizu Harumi, you're actions hence your arrival in Seireitei have been suspicious. Please refrain from restraining as we bring you to the head commander." The young girl could only watch in bewilderment as reiatsu binding ropes covered her body. As the guards lead her out the room, she glanced back once more at the young prodigy. A saddened face came over her to discover Hitsugaya conversing with SoiFong. Despite the power to break free in seconds, Kiyomizu decided to just go along. After all, endangering Hitsugaya was an option out of the question for her.


End file.
